Friends, yesterday the NC legislature passed what is being called "one of nation's most anti-LGBTQ bills." Many of the people behind this bill surely believe they are doing God's work. Part of the reason they continue to believe this is that untold millions of Christians who have changed their minds about LGBTQ people have not yet said so publicly. It can be scary to admit you've changed, especially when such change appears to threaten not just dearly held beliefs, but whole systems of meaning, community membership, and sometimes even careers.

But amidst that fear, I want to ask you: if you believe privately that you fully affirm LGBTQ people, but you work for an institution that does not fully affirm us, or you publish your writing with companies who do not fully affirm us, or you speak at conferences that do not fully affirm us, and you have not yet made a public statement that clearly outlines that you fully affirm LGBTQ people, will you do so now? If not, why not?

(It's easy to find out if your institution or publisher or conference fully affirms LGBTQ people on the terms that LGBTQ people would recognize. Just ask. If the answer is anything other than an unequivocal 'Yes', then the answer is 'No'.)

If you make such a public statement of affirmation, you will have the reward of knowing you did the right thing, and a welcome from a community that you may not even know is ready to love you.

I believe that lives - actual human lives - not just abstract ideas or organizations depend on it.

If you want to do this but feel unable to, write to me. I'll do my best to help you.